"No; but if we had stood anywhere else we should both have been killed."
The ground was literally plowed up all about us.
A few minutes later, the 8th Illinois and 32d Ohio made a charge on the battery to capture it. As the line advanced, there became a strife between the two regiments which should reach it first and take possession. The officers and men of the 32d Ohio had been smarting under the false accusation of "Harper's Ferry cowards," and had longed for an opportunity of retrieving their reputation.
"Come on, boys; we are 'Harper's Ferry cowards!'" shouted a Captain; and the words were instantly repeated by the whole regiment, and with a dash they outstripped their Illinois rivals. As they raised the hill near the battery, a round of canister was fired at them, but, fortunately, it was aimed too high to do much injury. The rebs then broke and run, leaving six of their guns to fall into the hands of the 32d Ohio. Major-General Logan complimented the regiment highly for its gallantry, and allowed Company F to retain the guns and serve them. That company was originally recruited as an artillery company.
On the 17th of May we resumed our march, and on the 18th we crossed Black River, and on the 19th our lines extended around Vicksburg, from the river above to the river below, occupying a line of about seven miles in length.
Major-General Sherman's corps occupied the right, Major-General McPherson's the center, and Major-General M'Clernand's the left. Then began the siege of Vicksburg.
Up to the commencement of the siege, the troops had marched over two hundred miles and taken part in five distinct battles, and accomplished it in twenty-five days; and a large portion of that time they had been without rations, except such as they foraged from the country.